Rolling Stone picks best Beatles Songs

Rolling Stone magazine, in anniversary of the final Beatles album LET IT BE being released 40 years ago (and wanting more money) released a new book which they ranked the 100 best songs from the Fab Four's catalogue, perhaps the best songbook in all of pop music.

Their Top 10 are...

1. "A Day in the Life"

2. "I Want to Hold Your Hand"

3. "Strawberry Fields Forever"

4. "Yesterday"

5. "In My Life"

6. "Something"

7. "Hey Jude"

8. "Let It Be"

9. "Come Together"

10. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE67P00320100826

I agree with "A Day in the Life" being number 1 but after that im stuck as for me every song is amazing..

And "I Want to Hold Your Hand" is so high because this was the song which made the Beatles big in America, three weeks after Kennedy was shot..

They held the top 5 spots in the billboard at one point which will never be done again..

Everyone knows "For No One" is the greatest song they ever wrote..

Underrated ones include:

Norwegian Wood

Blackbird

Slow Version of Revolution (on White Album)

I Am The Walrus

Being For the Benefit or Mr. Kite

I Saw Her Standing There

Within You WIthout You

While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Something (In The Way She Moves)

Ronnie,

I was thinking of posting about this, but you beat me to it! Picked up the magazine this week and was pleased to see that the whole top 100 list was very weel done and had no complaints with the Rolling Stones top 10 picks, besides "I Want to Hold your Hand", which I couldnt care less about! As far as where my favourite song placed? "The Ballad of John and Yoko" and number 48.

Lovecraft - You care if possible to post the entire Top 100 listing because I'm intrigued to see which tunes made the cut, and which didn't. Did covers like "Twist & Shout" make the cut or what about solid B-sides like "Rain"?

Anyway this list is interesting in that when RS did their Top 500 Songs list several years back, the highest ranking Beatles tune was "Hey Jude" at #9 which is only #6 on this niche list. Weird.

Incidentally same Top 500 RS, the highest ranked song by any Beatle was #3*, for "Imagine." Would have been more fun if this new list had included solo Beatle songs as well since I know this isn't orthodox, but I always considered post-1970 to be just as tangently part of Beatlemania, whether it be Wings or "Imagine" or ALL THINGS MUST PASS or "Photograph" or whatever.



That I totally agree with. Most people either prefer or more come to mind the fast-paced rock version, and I must admit I'm one of them. That said, "Revolution #1" the acoustic edition is rather awesome too. I could see why Lennon prefered that to the "Revolution" everybody else knows.

My suggestion for underrated Fab Four songs:





*=#1 was Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone," btw.

I'll start it up when I get back home from work and probably have it to you by tomorrow night!

Another fav of mine..


Amazing end to the album..

Here's the full list from 100 to 11!

100. Hello, Goodbye
99. Yes it is
98. Long, Long, Long
97. All Ive Got to Do
96. Within You Without You
95. Any Time at All
94. You won't see me
93. Sexy Sadie
92. Dig a Pony
91. Every Little Thing
90. The Long and Winding Road
89. Good Day Sunshine
88. Rain
87. Love Me Do
86. lady Madonna
85. Back in the USSR
84. Across the Universe
83. I'm so Tired
82. Shes leaving Home
81. hey Bulldog
80. Mother Nature's Son
79. Ill follow the Sun
78. And Your Bird Can Sing
77. Because
76. Yer Blues
75. Think for Yourself
74. Yellow Submarine
73. Everybodys got something to hide except for me and my Monkey
72. For Me to You
71. I'm a Loser
70. You Cant do That
69. Julia
68. Baby You're a Rich Man
67. Oh Darling
66. Nowhere Man
65. And I love Her
64. I've got a Feeling
63. Dear Prudence
62. Girl
61. With a Little Help from my Friends
60. Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
59. I want you (Shes so Heavy)
58. Ive just seen a Face
57. Im only Sleeping
56. Im Down
55. Taxman
54. Two of Us
53. It won't be Long
52. Helter Skelter
51. If I needed Someone
50. Got to get you into my Life
49. The Night Before
48. The Ballad of John and Yoko
47. Things we said Today
46. Don't let me Down
45. No reply
44. All My Loving
43. Drive my Car
42. I feel Fine
41. Get Back
40. For No One
39. Day Tripper
38. Blackbird
37. She said she said
36. I should have known better
35. Paperback writer
34. Eight days a week
33. I am the Walrus
32. Penny Lane
31. You've got to hide your love away
30. We Can Work it Out
29. Can't buy me love
28. Here comes the Sun
27. Youre going to lose that girl
26. If I Fell
25. Here there and Everywhere
24. Happiness is a Warm Gun
23. Abbey Road Medley
22. Eleanor Rigby
21. All You Need is Love
20. Please please me
19. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
18. Tomorrow Never Knows
17. Ticket to Ride
16. I Saw Her Standing There
15. Help!
14. She Loves You
13. Revolution
12. Norwegian Wood
11. A Hard Days Night

You know, whenever anyone asks me what my favorite Beatle song is, I always answer "A Day In The Life."

There are so many Beatle songs though, that could fit the bill. For me, nearly all of the White Album is my favorite along with Hey Jude, Eleanor Rigby, Norwegian Wood, Helter Skelter, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, and I could go on and on.

CNN web site is (or was) running a poll asking if DITL was the best Beatle song and I am shocked at the results showing a mere 12-15 per cent (or maybe less)agree while 80-90 percent don't. Like I say, a lot of their songs would qualify, but how can you NOT think DITL is not worthy?

TIS

Well, everyone's entitled to their own list. I could populate the field with the contents of their three best records: "Help," "Rubber Soul" and "Revolver." The only Beatles song on my iPod right now is "The Night Before"--absolute top of the pops, Paul at his bounciest. The two I play most often on guitar are "In My Life" and "Girl."

I own the complete Beatles songbook with guitar chords. Every time I turn a page, another great song jumps out at me. Lennon and McCartney were matchless songwriters.

I too love "The Night Before" and "Girl", along with Nowhere Man. I always liked Ballad of John & Yoko too. I remember when it first came out the local Michigan radio would play it leaving the word "Christ"(you know it ain't easy) out of the song. I'm sure it was great for record sales If I remember correctly eventually they let it play in its entirety.


TIS

While my Guitar Gently Weeps has always been my favorite Beatles' song, followed by Back in the USSR. I'ved also been listening a lot to You Won't See Me, which was only ranked 94.

You've also practiced that a lot lately. Good to see you back here.

Kly!!!! Welcome back! It is great to see you again. I hope you stick around. You've been missed.

Another Beatle song with good lyrics (yes, there are so many): She's Leaving Home.

Wednesday morning at five o'clock as the day begins
Silently closing their bedroom door
Leaving the note that she hoped would say more
She goes downstairs to the kitchen clutching her handkerchief
Quietly turning the backdoor key
Stepping outside she is free.

She (We gave her most of our lives)
is leaving (Sacrificed most of our lives)
home (We gave her everything money could buy)
She's leaving home after living alone
For so many years. Bye, bye

Father snores as his wife gets into her dressing gown
Picks up the letter that's lying there
Standing alone at the top of the stairs
She breaks down and cries to her husband Daddy our baby's gone
Why would she treat us so thoughtlessly
How could she do this to me.

She (We never thought of ourselves)
is leaving (Never a thought for ourselves)
home (We struggled hard all our lives to get by)
She's leaving home after living alone
For so many years. Bye, bye

Friday morning at nine o'clock she is far away
Waiting to keep the appointment she made
Meeting a man from the motor trade.

She (What did we do that was wrong)
is having (We didn't know it was wrong)
fun (Fun is the one thing that money can't buy)
Something inside that was always denied
For so many years. Bye, bye
She's leaving home. Bye, bye





TIS

I wonder if the Beatles enjoyed Elton John's cover of "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds." I know it's almost blasphemous, but I think I like his version better.

Okay, let me have it, Tis .

PB,

I find EJ's version is very similar to the Beatles. I actually like it too. I still would go with the Beatles version though.

TIS

Still sharp as a tack, SC. Maybe it's time for this "Nowhere Man" to "get back."

I'll be a bit of a blasphemer here. There are no Beatle songs that make it into my top 5 or maybe top 10, but they probably have the most extensive list of songs in the top 100. To me they just don't have that gut-pulling, visceral feel that I need from a song. None of their songs would make me cry or leave me exhausted. They are intellectual and musically pleasant. The two that come close are "A Day in the Life" and "Revolution".
My top 5 might include:
Bridge Over Troubled Waters
Suite Judy Blue Eyes
Layla
Try a Little Tenderness
The Weight

Our local radio station had a "vote for your favorite Beatle song" about a month ago, where you call in and vote. They voted "Help" as their favorite with most of the early Beatle songs in the top five (I Wanna Hold Your Hand). "Day In The Life" wasn't even in the top five (or ten I don't think).

As much as I like some of their early stuff and no doubt they too had some beautiful ballads (And I Love Her, Yesterday, Michelle, etc), I much prefer their later work. Just my opinion fwiw.


TIS

That being said, and because I just heard it on the radio, I do like the Beatles' rendition of "Roll Over Beethoven" and "Long Tall Sally." Maybe not in the top Beatle songs, but good none the less.

After reviewing the list, I'm really disappointed that The Long and Winding Road was listed at number 90!

My favorite, LC.

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that its also Chuck D's favorite song of theirs.

Are you serious, Ronnie?

I like Chuck. Flavor Flav is a mess (a funny one, but still a mess), but I always liked Chuck and Public Enemy.

Absolutely.





Yeah but Flavor still gave us "911 is a Joke", which somehow ended up getting covered by of all people, fuckin Duran Duran.

"Fool On The Hill" is another underrated one, IMO, that I'd probably put in my top 10

I dislike how 'I Want to Hold your Hand' is number 2 on the list. It may be one of their most iconic songs, but it is definitely not their second best song.

Although I certainly don't hate it, I agree Lovecraft that I Wanna Hold Your Hand is up higher than I'd choose but when many think of the Beatles, that's the song they think of. I mostly prefer their later work. Oh, and I like "Fool On The Hill" too.

Btw, off topic, but I never remember the exact date of Lennon's death (I know it's December). Anyway, while browsing for the info I came across a video called "The Killing Of John Lennon". I clicked and it looks like a movie or re-enactment of Lennon's killing. Anyone hear of it? It gave me the chills. Chapman shot him at least 4 times (at least in this clip). I wasn't aware of that either. Didn't know whether to post that clip. It really is sad.

TIS

Hi TIS -

December 8th, 1980 if you're interested. I actually was on 72nd St. last week and stood in front of his apartment building and saw where he was shot. I have been by there before and it seems like everytime I am there people are taking pictures of the place and leaving flowers. Very sad.

I love the Beatles - my favorites include "A Day in the Life", "She's Leaving Home", "Old Brown Shoe", and "Your Mother Should Know". Truth be told, there are very few of their songs I don't like. They dominate my Ipod.

Hey Don Marco, welcome back!

I was by The Dakota my last visit to NYC too. Seeing that video and recognizing the entryway was creepy enough, but the brutal way he was slain is so very sad.

Day In The Life is on the top of my list and I too like She's Leaving Home among so many others.


TIS

Haha, the Beatles and Bob Dylan dominate mine!